Doing Laundry
by glacier
Summary: Whee!!! Finally, Chapter 4 is up!!! Come on in and read!! New characters introduced. ^_^ AU fic. C&C would be nice. =Þ
1. Default Chapter

Title: Doing Laundry (tentative)

Part: 1/?

Author: glacier 

E-Mail: glacier@mataray.ph 

Genre: Uhh.. shounen-ai (I guess) 

Pairings: will be mainly RuHana/HanaRu with slight mention of other pairings 

Rating: uh… you be the judge 

Author's Note: Sorry for making you guys come here just to read this but I'm experimenting with Microsoft FrontPage right now so I decided to do this. It's still nothing much but I'm working on it. Anyway, the words colored pink are just additional Author's notes, the blue one's are Kaede's thoughts and the yellow ones are, obviously, from Ayako's note. Uh.. please tell me what you think ok. Not just about the fic but about this page also. Criticize me or whatever but please don't give praise where it's not due. 

Warning: Definitely OOC characters. Well, so far, it's only Rukawa so... Oh, and this is a serious fic, since that's about the only kind I can come up with. 

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is called a FANFIC. 

**_Doing Laundry_**

**_Chapter 1_**

"Tadaima." Kaede called out into the modest apartment. It was almost noon on a bright Saturday and Kaede had just come home from basketball practice. He waited for an answer as he toed off his shoes and slipped into a pair of house slippers. However, when Ayako's cheerful reply did not come, he sighed and made his way to the kitchen, leaving his sports bag in the hallway. She usually leaves a message for him on the refrigerator whenever she leaves the house when Kaede wasn't there. 

As expected, Kaede encountered a folded note stuck to the refrigerator with a magnet shaped like a fox. He smiled, remembering that the magnet had been a gift from Ayako on his 7th birthday. She had been 13 then, and had presented it to him as a joke, since everyone who saw him thought he looked like a fox. Shaking his head as he took the note down, he wondered why he had never thought about throwing the thing away. He leaned against the counter as he opened the note and read what was written inside. 

_Kaede, _

_ I know I said that I'd be spending today with you but my boss called while you were at practice. The project we're working on encountered a problem so I had to go to the office and help find a solution. I know you're a big boy now and you understand that I need to do this to support us both. Nonetheless, I truly am sorry that I can't spend the day with my favorite brother. =) I promise I'll make it up to you, ok. _

_ I probably won't be back by dinnertime so just cook enough for yourself, ne. _

_ Love, _

_ Your big sister _

_ P.S. I wasn't able to do the laundry because I was in a hurry. Could you please do it for me? Arigatou! _

Kaede sighed again as he refolded the note and tucked it into his pocket. He did understand. He knew that Ayako was doing everything she could for the both of them. And that's why he was determined to do his best in school, so he could graduate from his course, BS Business Administration and Accountancy, with honors and get a high-paying job. (A.N. Why this particular course? No reason. It's just that that's what I'm taking up now and I thought, heck, why not make Kaede-kun suffer as much as I am? Hehehe. I'm evil, I know.) That way, he would be able to repay his sister. He would make sure that Ayako would never have to work so hard for money ever again. With that in mind, he straightened up so he could go and do his homework. The laundry could wait until later. 

Kaede made his way out of the kitchen when suddenly… 

GROWL! 

He looked down sheepishly at his stomach as it let out a loud growl of protest at being forgotten to be fed. **_Souka. I knew I was forgetting something_. **Patting his stomach apologetically, he went over to the refrigerator to look for something to eat as the impatient "tummy monsters" grumbled yet again. He chuckled to himself. _**Yare, yare. I never seem to remember how hungry I get after basketball practice.**_

After satisfying his stomach's demand for food and cleaning up the mess he made, Kaede was finally able to retreat to his room and start on his homework. It was 12:30 P.M. 

############### 

The late afternoon sun filtered into a bedroom window where a raven-haired young man was working diligently at his desk. Kaede scribbled out the last figure for the worksheet he was working on before putting the pencil down and rubbing his eyes. He liked his course very much but sometimes, the sheer volume of the work involved was just too much to handle. Add to that the fact that the only way one can ever really be proficient at Accounting is to practice constantly and what you get is a tired hand and an aching head. (A.N. Believe me, I'm only in my second year and I'm already experiencing this.) 

Sighing in relief that his work was finally done, Kaede closed his accounting book, arranged all the sheets of columnar paper he had used and placed his pens, pencils and eraser back into the pen-holder on his desk, before pushing his chair back and standing up. He rolled his head from side to side while massaging his nape wearily with his right hand. **_K'so. I always get a stiff neck when I do my homework. _**He pushed the chair back under the desk and was about to fall back on his bed when he remembered that he had to do the laundry. Sighing tiredly, he trudged out of his room and into the laundry room. The laundry room was actually a small closet connected to the kitchen. In it was a washing machine, a cabinet of laundry detergent and the laundry basket. 

As he sifted through the laundry that had accumulated during the week, he realized that most of his clothes were in it and that he really needs to do the laundry now or he wouldn't have anything to wear. Kaede started separating the clothes into piles: a pile for the dark-colored ones, a pile for the white ones, and so on. When he was done with that, he plugged the washing machine in and waited for its customary sputter of protest, a sure sign that it was working. When five seconds passed without any sound emanating from the old machine, he looked at the socket, to make sure that it was plugged in correctly. Yup, no problem there. Then he checked to see of the socket was working by plugging in the toaster and checking if it was getting warm. Yup, he could definitely feel the toaster getting warm. He unplugged the small appliance and returned it to the kitchen. He growled in frustration. The ancient washing machine was obviously broken again. **_K'so! Now what do I do?_**

As he glowered darkly at the offending machine, he suddenly remembered that there was a small laundromat nearby. Resigning himself to the fact that they needed to spend money on something other than the bare necessities again, Kaede placed all the clothes on a large sheet and bundled it up. He then checked his wallet, to see if he had enough to pay for getting them washed. Satisfied that he had enough, he hauled the large bundle over his shoulder and left the apartment. 

############## 

Kaede looked up to verify that this was indeed the laundromat he was looking for. Yup, this was definitely a laundromat. He transferred his load over to his left shoulder and used his right hand to open the door. The small bell attached to the door tinkled softly as he pushed the door open and stepped into the brightly lit shop. He walked over to the counter where a boy and a girl were talking animatedly albeit in hushed tones. Clearing his throat to get their attention, Kaede waited patiently as both turned towards him, momentarily startled by the sight of a new customer. Then, the red-haired boy smiled and said, "Welcome! How may I help you?" 

~tbc

Next


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Doing Laundry (tentative)

Part: 2/?

Author: glacier 

E-Mail: glacier@mataray.ph 

Genre: Uhh.. shounen-ai (I guess) 

Pairings: will be mainly RuHana/HanaRu with slight mention of other pairings 

Rating: uh… you be the judge 

Author's Note: This is an AU fic, ok. I'm sorry that I forgot to say that in the first chapter. So, anyway, since this is AU, the characters' ages aren't the same as in the anime. I left hints in the fic as to their age so try to work it out. If you're still confused, tell me. I'll be happy to help. As always, C&C's very much appreciated. Umm... this chapter isn't really a continuation of the last one. This sort of runs parallel to the time frame of Chapter 1. Again, the words in pink are additional author's notes and the ones in dark pink are Hana's thoughts. 

Warning: Definitely OOC characters. If you love humor and comedy, this is definitely NOT the fic for you. But if you think you can handle it, then by all means, go ahead and read this. Oh, and it's developing VERY slowly so gomen. 

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is called a FANFIC. 

**_Doing Laundry_**

**_Chapter 2_**

Sakuragi Hanamichi woke up to a beautiful Saturday morning. However, the red-haired young man failed to appreciate this fact and, instead, cursed the alarm clock as it blared incessantly on the bedside table. Suddenly, a large hand attached to a muscular arm shot out from beneath the covers and swatted the noisy contraption away. The poor clock found itself on the floor, still ringing loudly, despite the fact that it is now not one piece, but five. (A.N. Why five pieces? Because five is my favorite number. So sue me.)

Growling his defeat as the annoying noise continued to torture his poor eardrums, Hanamichi threw back the covers and swung his legs over the side of the bed. "All right, all right, I'm awake! Stupid clock!" the youth grumbled under his breath. He stood up and managed to step on one of the broken pieces scattered on the floor. He gave a yelp of pain before landing unceremoniously on the floor. "Itai! Yaro!" Hanamichi grabbed his injured foot in his hands and used the other one to angrily kick the other pieces away, cursing all the while. That was how Kogure found him when the bespectacled man opened the door to check on the commotion.

"Why are you sitting on the floor, Hanamichi?" the brown haired man asked in a worried voice, thinking that the younger boy was sick. He walked into the small room as his eyes roamed over the mess the redhead had created. Shaking his head in amusement, the older boy commented in feigned disappointment, "You've broken your alarm clock again, Hanamichi. Now you're going to have to buy a new one. That makes, what, 5 clocks in a month? You must be earning a lot from your job if you have enough money to keep buying alarm clocks." Kogure knew that chastising the younger man directly would get him nowhere so he used the guilt tactic instead.

As predicted, the redhead looked at Kogure guiltily before bowing his head in shame. "Gomenasai, Kogure-kun." _Baka! Now look what you've done! Kogure has taken you in when you had nothing and this is how you repay him?_Hanamichi continued to berate himself inwardly.

It was roughly 4 years ago that Kogure had found Hanamichi at his front door. The then 16-year-old boy was fast asleep on Kogure's front steps, shivering in the cold night air. Despite being only 18 years old himself, Kogure had woken the boy up and welcomed him into his home. When Hanamichi found out that the brown-haired boy was struggling to put himself through medical school, the fiery youth vowed to repay his kindness and started looking for a job. And now, 4 years later, they treated each other as brothers, though Hanamichi still feels that he has not done enough to repay the older man's kindness.

Hanamichi had been lucky to get a job back then. Not only was he only 16 years old, but he also had no documents whatsoever proving his residence and citizenship in Japan. Fortunately, Fujima-san had taken one look at the strapping boy and hired him on the spot. And Hanamichi has been working for the Fujima family since then. In fact, the Fujimas also treated him as a member of the family, providing him with free meals and giving him a generous salary.

You have to understand that beneath the redhead's tough guy act lived a kind-hearted soul. Anyone lucky enough to be considered a friend will find that the redhead can be the most loyal, understanding and helpful person in the world. That is why, even though he had an opportunity to pursue his studies, (Fujima-san offered to help pay for his tuition) he refused to do so and instead worked like a horse. In his mind, he needed to repay Kogure and the Fujimas. And the only way to do that was to work and earn money. He had never liked school anyway.

Still, even with the amount that Fujima-san pays him and Kogure's salary from his part-time job at the grocery, the two boys still struggled to make ends meet. One reason is that Kogure now needed more books and other things for his studies. Another reason was the redhead's healthy appetite. More often than not, Kogure would come home to find the cupboards and the refrigerator empty, compliments of Hanamichi. But somehow, they managed, never really reaching a time when they had nothing to eat.

Kogure gazed down fondly at the fiery head bowed in front of him. He knew that Hanamichi was probably reliving the past 4 years. He was really thankful that the young boy he had picked up from the streets had turned into a fine young man. He was also thankful that he now had a companion, no, a brother. But sometimes, he wondered about Hanamichi's past. All he knew about the redhead started from 4 years ago to the present. Everything else before that remained a mystery. "Yare, Yare. An alarm clock doesn't cost that much anyway. Demo, hurry up, Hanamichi. I've already cooked breakfast for you and it might get cold if you don't eat it immediately. I have to go to the hospital now so remember to lock the door when you leave for work, ne." Giving the sitting figure a pat on the head, he left the room and closed the door softly.

Hanamichi looked up just as the door to his room closed with a soft click. _**I** swear, Kogure-kun, I'll do my best. I will repay you someday._ With that, he stood up, gave the scattered pieces one last baleful glare and went to the bathroom.

###############

Hanamichi whistled softly as he strolled through the streets of the peaceful neighborhood. He was grinning from ear to ear as he had enjoyed his breakfast thoroughly. Kogure had thoughtfully prepared his favorites, including a tall glass of milk. He was still patting his stomach in contentment when he finally reached his destination.

"Ohayo!" Hanamichi greeted in a loud voice as he pushed the door of the laundromat open. The bells hanging on the door jumped around crazily due to the hard shove administered by the enthusiastic man. The racket he created would have surprised the people inside if not for the fact that they were used to it. It had become a sort of a ritual. Everyday the redhead would come to work and the poor door would find itself in his mercy.

"Ohayo!" came the reply from behind the counter. There sat a brown-haired girl, carefully inspecting the cash register and arranging the piles of coins that would be needed to operate the washing machines. "You seem to be in a good mood today, Hana-nisan." Haruko smiled up at the redhead as he approached the counter. "Hai! Kogure-kun prepared lots of food for the Tensai this morning! Nyahahaha!" The girl sweatdropped as Hanamichi gave a hearty, maniacal laugh.

"Oi, Hanamichi no baka. Can't you see that you're scaring my sister with your foolish antics?" Fujima Kenji slapped the taller boy's butt as he walked over to the counter. "Nani?! Who are you calling foolish, Ken-chan?" Hanamichi smiled smugly as Kenji's face turned several shades of red. They all knew that the older of the Fujima siblings didn't like any reference to the fact that he looked too much like a girl. "Urusai!" he muttered darkly.

Mentally slapping himself on the forehead, Kenji smiled ruefully. He should have learned by now that the younger man always had a comeback for everything. "Yare, yare. By the way, I'll be leaving the shop to you two later today. Today is Toru's day off and we're planning to spend some time together." He couldn't help but smile happily at the thought. Being one of the best professional photographers in Japan, Hanagata Toru was in big demand and Kenji would often have to settle for the occasional phone call and visit. But today, he was determined to spend the rest of the day, and night, with his boyfriend. Yup, ladies and gentlemen, the feminine-looking 24-year-old is gay. However, that doesn't mean that he wants himself to be likened to the female gender.

"Toru-nisan is back? Sugoi! I wonder what he has for me this time?" Haruko clapped her hands in excitement. It had been a sort of custom that Hanagata would have a little something for the bubbly girl whenever he returned to Kanagawa. And even though they were often just trinkets from his travels, Haruko nonetheless treasures them. Kenji smiled at his sister's enthusiasm and ruffled her hair fondly. "I'm sure it'll be something very nice, Haruko." Kenji turned to issue additional instructions to the redhead and was surprised to see that Hanamichi's face showed a mixture of thoughtfulness and… jealousy?

"What's the matter, Hanamichi?" Kenji had often seen that expression on the redhead's face whenever there was any mention of his and Hanagata's relationship. "Huh? Oh, iya, it's nothing. I was just thinking that it must be nice, having those people close to you accept you for who you are." Kenji raised his brows at the redhead's wistful tone. He then gave the taller boy a pat on the shoulder. "What do you mean? We know you're gay and we accept you. Stop talking nonsense, Hanamichi." Haruko nodded in agreement. The Fujima siblings exchanged worried looks when the only response they got from the redhead was a slight nod.

###############

Hanamichi looked up from the magazine he was reading when the bells at the door rang softly, signaling a customer. "Ah! Tsujimoto-san! How are you today? Here, let me help you with that." He quickly stood up from behind the counter and approached the old woman, who was carrying a basket of laundry. She smiled gratefully up at him before saying, "Arigato, Hana-chan. My, there sure is a lot of laundry to do today." Hanamichi smiled cheerfully at her while he carried the basket over to an unoccupied machine. "Here you go. Wait here while I get you some change." He walked over to the counter again, smiling at Haruko who was helping another customer.

Writing down the amount to be charged to the old woman in the log-book, Hanamichi strolled back and presented the pile of coins. "There. I think that should be enough for your laundry, Tsujimoto-san." After bowing to the old woman, he returned to his post behind the counter. Soon, Haruko came back and joined him. "Whew! There seems to be more people coming here nowadays, Hana-nisan. I think they like you." The younger girl grinned when Hanamichi blushed at the compliment.

They continued talking, occasionally teasing each other and just basically chatting about life. It was not often that Haruko came to help at the laundromat since she was studying at an exclusive all-girls' university outside Kanagawa. However, it was a Saturday so there was no school. They were so engrossed in their playful banter that they failed to notice when the bells at the door tinkled, signaling the entrance of a new customer. So it was with some surprise that they looked up when they heard someone clearing his throat. Surprise turned to slight shock when their eyes encountered the figure at the other side of the counter. _Kami-sama!_

Hanamichi and Haruko stared at the raven-haired boy standing patiently in front of the counter. Both were awe-struck at the man's handsome, albeit expressionless, face. It was Hanamichi who came to his senses first. He smiled and said, "Welcome! How may I help you?"

~tbc

Previous|Next


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Doing Laundry

Part: 3/?

Author: glacier 

E-Mail: glacier@mataray.ph 

Genre: suspense, mystery (I hope) 

Pairings: none here 

Rating: PG-13 (some language) 

Author's Note: Yehey! Chapter 3 finally up! I'm so proud of myself. ^_^ New characters introduced. Gomen for writing this fic so S-L-O-W-L-Y. Goes for both the development of the story and the chapter postings. _sigh _I dunno what's wrong with me, but I just can't seem to move forward. Anyway, hope you guy's will at least like this chapter. Even just a teensy-weensy bit. As usual, comment, suggestions and criticisms are welcome. At this point, I think even flames would be helpful. _whispers_ Might "encourage" me to write better and more quickly. _shrug_ But then again, flames might just make me lose heart. AHH!! Don't mind me. 

Warning: Definitely OOC characters. Hmm... might be a bit confusing and this is self-edited so there might be something wrong that I didn't notice. 

Disclaimer: There's a reason why this is called a FANFIC. 

this = story

**this** = Iain's thoughts

**_this_** = other man's thoughts

**_Doing Laundry_**

**_Chapter 3_**

~Somewhere in America~

The waitress sighed again as she watched the handsome man seated in the corner booth. She had been sending unmistakable "pick-me-up" signs since he came in, but, unfortunately, he didn't seem interested in any way, politely dismissing her after ordering black coffee. She wondered if he was gay. It's really too bad, she thought. The man was tall, his clothes failing to completely hide the magnificent body. His short, blue-black hair went well with his striking blue eyes and lightly tanned skin. But it was the small scar on his left jaw that really lured her. Somehow, it added a sense of mystery to the stranger's already intriguing aura. Heaving a final sigh of disappointment, the waitress turned and went into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the strange man, completely oblivious to the longing stares he had been receiving until a short while ago, lifted his left arm to look at his watch again. His lips curled into a slight smirk. **Just like him to be late.** He shook his head slightly in amusement before reaching into his coat's inside pocket and retrieving a small cellular phone.

He started typing out an SMS message, using only one hand and without even glancing at the screen or the keypad. He had long since memorized each key's location and purpose. He looked absently out the restaurant's window and noticed his bodyguards leaning casually against the parked Mercedes. The Mercedes itself was ordinary enough in this posh neighborhood. Unfortunately, his bodyguards had yet to master the art of acting and looking like an ordinary citizen. He gave them a small wave, causing both men to immediately stand at attention. The strange man sighed. **They just never learn.**

Having finished typing, he scrolled through the names in his phonebook and sent the message. He waited for the confirmation that the message had been sent successfully before locking the keypad and returning the phone to its hiding place. He reached into yet another hidden pocket and took out a small palmtop computer. He flipped the protective cover back and had already pulled out the stylus, ready to tap away, when a shadow fell over the screen. He looked up to find the person he had been waiting for.

"Sorry for being late," the newcomer apologized as he slid into the booth, opposite the current occupant. He watched in silence as the scar-faced man put the small device back inside his coat pocket. "That's all right. It was only a few minutes." He observed the newcomer discreetly. He was a few centimeters shorter than the scar-faced man, with slicked-back black hair and dark brown, almost black, eyes. He had what people might call an innocent face yet his eyes showed a certain degree of maturity. Despite this, he is, in fact, several years younger than the taller man.

The newcomer spoke first. "So, what brings you to America?"

"Let's cut the bullshit, shall we. We both know why I'm here."

The younger man raised his brows at the other's tone.

"Oh? Do tell because I really don't know why the high and mighty nephew of the King of Sheizou would come to America to visit a lowly advisor's son."

The older man snarled menacingly. "What fucking game do you think you're playing? It's been four years already! Just tell me where he is! You're his best friend and he tells you everything!"

"Are you jealous? Don't worry, you'll always be his favorite cousin, you know that. Sorry, but I don't know where he is. He writes to me sometimes but the letters never have a return address."

"You're lying."

No response from the younger man. Both men engaged in a staring contest, each silently willing the other to back down first. It was the older man who gave up. He sighed.

"Fine. Don't tell me if you don't want to. At least tell me if he's doing all right. You know how Uncle cares for him. And with his heart problems, I'm afraid that Uncle will suffer from a nervous breakdown soon."

The younger man looked sympathetically at the other man's dejected form. "He's doing fine. He told me in one of his letters that he's living with someone who he considers to be family now. And he's working to support himself."

"Work?! What work? Who in his right mind would hire a 20-year-old without even a high school diploma?" The older man looked at the other incredulously.

The younger one sighed. "No more questions. I've already told you more than you need to know. Frankly, I'm disappointed with the royal family's efforts in finding their prince. I'm especially disappointed in you. If you knew him as well as you think you do, you should already have an idea of where he is. Why is it taking you so long to find him?"

Upon hearing this, the scar-faced man allowed himself to grin smugly. "Oh, we knew all along that he was in Japan. After all, he's always had this spiritual connection with that country. Don't you remember that it was him who came up with our Japanese names?" A tight laugh. "Since that day, he never responded whenever we called him by his given name. It was only Uncle who he would allow to call him Aidan."

Snapping out of his reminiscing, the older man continued. "We've already hired someone there to find him. But apparently, he's been getting some help." He looked pointedly at the other man.

When all he got in return was a blank stare, he smiled again at the other's stubbornness before resuming his piece. "It will be harder to find him now since he's probably grown and changed a lot. But we've already hired experts who can help. Something to do with a software that can predict how a person ages. I don't really understand those things." A shrug. "Anyway, Allen's back home, doing things that a crown prince should do. He's in charge of the official search."

"Ah. Why are you telling me this? And if Prince Allen's the one in charge of the search, what are YOU doing here, talking to me about Aidan?" The younger man leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest while waiting for an answer.

Another shrug from the other figure. "I'm doing my own search. He is my cousin after all. And you of all people should know that he's more like a brother to me."

"Liar," came the soft reply.

"Think what you want. I know you won't be telling any more about Aidan so I'll take my leave." A business card was slid across the table. "In case there's something you need to tell me."

The taller man left a hundred dollar bill on the table, gave the other man a curt nod, stood up and left the restaurant.

The man seated in the booth looked down on the bill his companion left on the table, then at the untouched cup of coffee. He shook his head slightly in amusement while smiling to himself. **_Still the same old Iain._**

~tbc

Previous|Next


	4. Chapter 4

Doing Laundry Chapter 4  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
The tall man leaned casually against the alley wall, his jaw working around a piece of gum. There was nothing really remarkable about him except that his hair was styled in a manner that would remind you of a porcupine. He watched as the redhead sauntered jauntily across the sidewalk and entered a small shop. He then looked down at the computer generated picture in his hand. *Yup. That guy and this one in the picture are probably the same person. Still, I have to investigate further.*  
  
Thus decided, he slipped the photo back inside his coat pocket and strolled toward his car. After watching the redhead's activities for the past few weeks, the brunette knew that he wouldn't be leaving the shop until about 6 in the evening. He'd just have to come back then.  
  
He slid into the driver's seat and waited for the engine to warm up. After a while, he shifted gears and went on his way. He didn't know why, but something about that alley he had just passed caught his attention. Signaling a turn, he took a sharp u-turn and coasted back to the direction he came from.  
  
He deliberately slowed down as he once again passed the suspicious alley. The brunette's blue eyes pierced the semi-darkness and saw something that made him stamp on the brakes and jump out of his car. Someone was having the living daylights beaten out of him.  
  
He ran towards the alley as quickly as he could but the person's attackers saw him coming and ran for it, leaving the victim slumped on the dirty alley floor. One look at the unconscious person told him that he wouldn't be chasing after the bastards. He had to get this man to a hospital.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Two men came running up the stairs in a dilapidated apartment building and barged right into a small, musty room. It was sparsely furnished with an old mattress, several chairs and a small refrigerator. The only really remarkable thing in the room was a large camera equipped with a high- powered zoom lens.  
  
The occupant of the room didn't turn around when the door slammed loudly against the wall. He merely brought the bottle of beer up to his lips, took a swig and continued peering into the camera's viewfinder. "Nice job, you guys. The boss will be happy."  
  
The two men, panting slightly, dropped down into separate chairs and tried to catch their breaths. The shorter one spoke first. "So? Did he take the bait?"  
  
"Aa. He took the bait with him and drove away."  
  
The taller of the seated men grinned.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
"I don't know how you talk me into this. Do you realize I could lose my job if the director finds out about this?" The dark-haired doctor glanced exasperatedly at his visitor before turning his attention back to his patient.  
  
"I knew I could count on you, Ikegami. Going to other people would only raise questions and I don't have any answers." The tall, spiky-haired brunette grinned disarmingly, chewing happily on his gum.  
  
The doctor snorted. "Did I hear that right? Private investigator extraordinaire, Sendoh Akira, for once has no answer to a question? Gee, I better call the press."  
  
The taller man walked around the small room, peering curiously into the glass vials on display. "Stop it, you're gonna make me blush. And that's gonna be bad for my reputation." He stopped moving and turned to face the doctor.  
  
"But seriously, I really don't know who he is," he said, gesturing to the man on the table. "There was no identification on him anywhere and I had some friends do a check but they couldn't identify him. It's like he just appeared from nowhere."  
  
The shorter man finished dressing the patient's wounds and stepped to the faucet to clean up. "Well, I found some identifying marks on him that could help."  
  
A gasp from the other man caused him to look quizzically over his shoulder. "What?" He raised a brow at the spiky-haired man's mock indignant look.  
  
"Ikegami-san! I never knew you found unconscious men so appealing. Remind me never to fall asleep when you're around." Sendoh laughed when the doctor tried to smack him upside the head but missed when he dodged.  
  
Rolling his eyes, Ikegami leaned against his desk and addressed the taller man. "No, baka yaro. That's not what I meant and you know it. Are you listening to me?" He glared at the still-grinning man and only continued when the other gave a small nod of apology.  
  
"Anyway, I found several stitches on his scalp. I judge them to be relatively new, less than two months old. I know for a fact that there are only a few operations done every year that concerns going inside someone's head. You could start there."  
  
Sendoh nodded. "Ok. What else?"  
  
"And I found a small tattoo at the base of his spine. I don't recognize it but I made a copy of it for you. I doubt if this particular design is wide- spread in Japan." Ikegami handed over a small piece of paper.  
  
The spiky-haired man inspected the design for a few moments before slipping the paper into one of his coat's pockets. "Thanks, Ikegami. I guess I better go now. Sorry to have bothered you again. He flashed another bright grin at the doctor as he walked over to the examination table and carefully lifted the unconscious man into his arms.  
  
Ikegami smirked. "Of course you are. That's why you always come running to me to clean up your mess. Saa, run along now. And Sendoh, be careful."  
  
Sendoh looked over his shoulder as he walked out of the room, usual smile in place. "Aren't I always?" The door swung closed behind him with a small 'click'.  
  
~tbc  
  
A.N. Yay! Finally, the next part of my ongoing fic. ^_^ This was written in a bit of a rush so you guys will have to forgive me if I made any mistakes. And this hasn't been beta-ed, so.. *shrug* Comments would be very much appreciated. Just click on that small box thingy down there. ^_^ Ja! 


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